Elevator signaling system



Sept. 11, 1934. H. J. FEAR Er AL ELEVATOR SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 11, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS HAROLD J. FEAR WILLIAM E DITTMAN WM ATTORNEYS Sept. 11, 1934.

H. .1. FEAR Er AL ELEVATOR SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 11

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS HAROLD J EAR WILLIAM E DITTMAN A'ITOR EYS Sept. 11, 1934. H. J R ET AL 1,973,053

ELEVATOR SIGNALING SYSTEM FilGd NOV. 11 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 v INVENTORS g9 HAROLD J. FEAR BY WILLIAM E DITTMAN ATTORNEYS Sept. 11, 1934. H, J FEAR AL 1,973,653

ELEVATOR S IGNALING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 11. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR HAROLD J FEAR WILLIAM F.D|TTMAN ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 11, 1934 ELEVATOR SEGNALING SYSTEM Harold 3. Fear, Montclair, and William F. Dittman, Arlington, N. J., assignors to Elevator Supplies ompany, ind, Hoboken, N. .l., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 11, 1925, Serial No. 68,327

14 Claims. (01. 177--336) This invention relates to elevator signaling systems wherein means are provided for signaling any one of a bank of cars to stop at floors where passengers are waiting.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of means whereby an unsignaled car, upon stopping at a landing, gives a signal at that landing and locks out the signal-giving apparatus for that landing, thus preventing subsequent cars travelling in the same direction from either signaling or being signaled with respect to that landing until the first car leaves the said landing; the object being to avoid the unnecessary stopping of two or more cars at a landing at one time.

Further features are presented in the use of car-controlled commutator segments and brushes for resetting the circuit of a signal instantaneously upon its being received by the first approaching car.

While the invention is not limited in its application to any particular signal system, it is shown in the accompanying drawings and described m the following specification as applied to that type of signaling system shown and described in the copending application of Harry R. Norton, Serial No. 55,255 filed September 9, 1925, in which the signals are so distributed to the various cars that the efficiency of elevator service is greatly increased.

In systems of the type just referred to means re provided to maintain the floor signal energized while the indicated car is approaching the floor several floors in advance in order to give the passengers ample time to reach the door of the car before it opens. With such an arrangement the car is permitted to appropriate to itself to the exclusion of other cars, signals from a series of consecutive floors.

The present invention proposes to add to and improve upon such an arrangement so that not only will an unsignaled car maintain its floor signal energized while standing at a floor, but it will in addition lock out the signal giving equipcircuit arrangements for a signaling system for two cars in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 shows the system on a larger scale as applied to one car traveling in the up direction; 60

and

Fig. 4 represents the arrangement when the car is traveling down.

Referring particularly to the system shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there is indicated an arrangement for operating two elevator cars in a building hav ing nine floors or landings, in the most eificient manner. While for convenience a system for only two cars serving nine floors is shown, it is apparent that any number of cars may be employed to serve any number of floors in this system with mere duplication of equipment and but slight changes in wiring, so that one set of floor signaling devices may control the circuits for all the cars as is common in this art. It is not thought necessary to illustrate this duplication and cross connection in the drawings, as the same will be evident to any person skilled in the art.

There is provided in this embodiment of the invention equipment whereby the cars, traveling up and down in their respective shaitways, will stop at the landings in response to passengers signals, at the same time indicating to waiting passengers by means of properly positioned indicating devices the approach of the cars and also the car or cars which are standing at the floors.

The signal circuits by means of which the objects of this invention are accomplished are preferably controlled by means of commutators and co-operating brushes, motion being imparted to one or the other in accordance with the motion of the associated car, as fully explained in the above mentioned application of Harry R. Norton.

In the embodiment herein disclosed th re is provided a plurality of commutator strips and conducting strips and a plurality of double-acting brushes mounted preferably on a common carrier, whose motion up and down is in accordance with the motion of the corresponding car. Each brush rides between a pair of strips comprising one commutator strip and one conducting strip connectthe latter progressively to each of the commutator segments. The brushes 350, 351, etc. shown in Fig. l of the drawings, are placed along line 1-1, which is the position assumed by them when the car is standing at the first floor. The other lines 2-2, 33, 4-4, etc. represent positions of the brushes when the car is located at floors 2, 3, 4, etc. The brushes are shown in only inclusive, in the case of car 200.

one position in order to avoid confusion in following the description.

For each car there are provided two sets of commutators and brushes, one set being eliective during the upward travel of the car and the other during its downward travel. These sets are ren dered alternately effective by means of reversing switches which are so arranged that one is operated when the other is released and vice versa. The operation of these switches, in turn, may be controlled in response to reversals of direction of the car, either upon the completion of a full trip up or down or at any point along the hatchway. Alternate action of the two sets of commutators may be effected by means of a switch such as is shown in the patent to F. S. Payne, #1,108,782, August 25, 1914, the brush 196 being mounted on an oscillatory arm fixed to a rotatable axis which is in turn connected by suitable reduction gearing to the indicator m chanism of the car, the arm being thrown from one side to the other by its frictional engagement with the shaft when the mechanism changes its direction of travel, as is well known in this art. It is to be understood, or" course, that the brushes for both up and down commutators move in unison in both directions but only the set corresponding to the cars direction of motion is electrically active at any one time.

The circuit connections, though not necessarily,

are all preferably made by means of mercury pot contacts under the control of relays having mechanically locking armatures and setting and restoring magnets, these being common in the art, the preferred form thereof being set forth in the application of Robert H. Gaylord, Serial No. 700,604, filed March 20, 1924, or in the patent to A. Andren, No. 1,276,158, August 20, 1918. They may be placed in any convenient location, either separately or on the same support, being suitably wired from each commutator bank as shown in the drawings.

A passenger desiring to board a car at any one of the landings depresses one of the passengers signaling buttons at that landing. This causes the energization of one of the relays 52 to 88 inclusive, shown in Fig. 1, thereby setting a signal so that it may be picked up by the first car to come within a predetermined distance in advance of the landing. For example, a distance of two and onehalf floors has been herein chosen. As soon as a car picks up the signal the latter is reset so that no subsequently approaching car will be signaled. In resetting the original signal the car appropriates the signal to itself by causing the proper one of a group of relays to operate, 121 to 123 inclusive, and 131 to 133 inclusive, in the case of car 100, or 221 to 223 inclusive, and 231 to 233 The lantern outside of the door of the hatchway or the selected car at the landing at which the si naling button was depressed is illuminated two and one-quarter floors before the car reaches the landing and it remains illuminated until the car leaves the landing. As the car approaches within one and onehalf floors of the landing, the operators signal is lighted and continues lighted for the distance of one floor, that is, until the car is within onehalf fioor of the landing. At this time the car signal is extinguished so that the car may be signaled from subsequent landings. It will be noted that in the arrangement here shown as many as three signals may be appropriated by any car at any one time in either direction, due to the fact that there are provided three relays 121, 122 and 123 which, as will become apparent, can be sepa rately operated in response to signals from every third floor. For example, relay 121 controls fioors 4, 7, etc., relay 122, floors 2, 5, 8, etc., relay 123, floors 3, 6, 9, etc. Therefore, if the signals at floors 2, 3 and 4, for example, are set, car 190 may pick up all three signals on its relays,-tv.-*o on 122, three on 123 and four on 121.

Upon the stopping of the car at the landing, the fioor lantern is not extinguished, but is continued illuminated until the car leaves the landing. In this manner passengers reaching the landing can tell which car, if any, is waiting. While the car remains at the landing and a signal button is depressed, no subsequent car will respond to the signal since the signal control for that landing rests with the waiting car. If other cars also stop at the same time, they are all equally eifective in preventing subsequent cars from receiving a signal.

Whenever it is desired to permit a car to travel in the hatchway without responding to signals, the operator may do so by merely opening a switch in the car. This allows the following car to pick up the signals and make the necessary stops.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, wherein is shown part of the circuit arrangem nt involv ing one car, it will be assumed that car 100 is located on its upward trip at the third floor and that a passenger at the sixth floor desiring to ascend has depressed up-button 16 at that floor. The car-controlled brushes 350, etc. are bringing their respective commutator and feed strips at points along the line indicated by the numerals 3-3. It is further assumed that car 100 is the nearest upwardly traveling car to the sixth floor. A circuit may now be traced from the positive side of the battery 31 on conductor 32, conductor 33, contact of push button 16, operate winding 56 to the negative side of battery 31, over conductors 34 and 35. Magnet 53 is energized in this circuit whereupon its contact is permitted to close. A circuit is then prepared for the first approaching car which, in this case has been assumed to be car 100. This circuit extends on one side from the positive side of battery 31 on conductors 32 and 33 through the front contact of magnet 56, over conductors 36 and 37 to the sixth floor segment of commutator strip 151 and on the other side from the negative side of battery 31 on conductor to the contact of car switch 38, conductor 39, next to the inner contact of up-directicnal switch 195 which, as will be hereinafter explains is now in its closed position, conductor 49, operate magnet 123 of one of a group of relays individual to each car, to contacting strip 152 over conductor 41.

As soon as car 100 reaches a point half-way between the third and fourth floors, its brush will cause contact to be made between feed strip 152 and segment 163 or" commutator strip 151 with the result that magnet 123 is energized, closing both its contacts. This magnet 123, it will be observed, is deenergized upon further movement of the car but its contacts remain closed during the following operations. Closure of the contacts made by energizing magnet 123 causes release magnet 66 of the operate push button relay to be energized in a circuit from positive battery on conductors 32 and 33 through the winding of magnet 66, conductor 42, to segment 6 on strip 145, conducting strip 146 and by conductor 43 to one of the contacts of magnet 123, conductor next to the inner contact of switch 195, conductor 39, contact of switch 38, to the negative side of battery on conductor 35. The passengers signal is thus reset, so that it may subsequently be set by another passenger when desired. Magnet 66, it will be noted, remains energized in the above traced circuit until car 100 leaves floor 6 since segment 6 of commutator strip 145 extends up to the sixth floor position. Therefore, if between the time car 190 picks up the signal and the time it leaves floor 6, push button 16 is again depressed, the signal will not be set since restore magnet 66 maintains its armature out or contact. One-quarter of a floor later the up directional signal 106 over the door of a hatchway of car 166 is illuminated at the floor from which the signal was received. The circuit for lighting this signal may be traced from the positive side of source 44, conductors and 46, lamp 106, conductor 47, sixth floor segment of commutator strip 157, conducting'strip 158, conductor 48 through the other contact of magnet 123, conductor 49, innermost contact of switch 195, conductor 50, through the contact of car switch 91, to the negative side of source 44 over conductor 92. Lamp 106 remains lighted during the travel of the car to the sixth floor since the above traced circuit is maintained closed due to the fact that the sixth floor segment of commutator strip 157 extends for a distance equivalent to the travel of the car from floor 4 to slightly beyond floor 6.

As soon as the car reaches a point within one and one-half floors of the sixth floor; that is, half-way between floors 4 and 5, contact is made between the sixth floor segment of commutator 159 and conducting strip 160. Signal lamp 93 in car 109 is then illuminated to inform the operator that he is to stop at the sixth floor. This car light circuit is traceable from the positive side of source 44 on conductor 45, through lamp 93, conductor 94, outermost contact of switch 195, conductor 95, conducting strip 169, sixth floor segment of commutator strip 159 and the s'xth fioor segment of commutator strip 157, which are permanently cross-connected, conducting strip 158, conductor 48, contact of magnet 123, conductor 49, innermost contact of switch 195, conductor 56, contact of car switch 91, to the negative of source 44 over conductor 92. This circuit is maintained until the car reaches a position half-way between the fifth and sixth floors, whereupon. the brush passes over the sixth floor segment of commutator strip 159, breaking the above traced circuit. The car lamp 93 is now free to respond to signals from subsequent floors. Lamp 196, however, remains lighted while the car is standing at the floor since the sixth floor segment of commutator strip 157 is sufliciently long to engage the brush with the car standing at the sixth floor. As soon as the car leaves the floor the brush leaves the sixth floor segment, thus extinguishing lamp 1.96.

Magnet 66 which, it will be remembered, is held energized until the car leaves the floor, releases,

since its circuit is broken at commutator strip 145. A circuit is also completed at this time for restoring the contacts of car relay 123 so that car 199 may pick up other signals. This circuit be traced from negative side of battery 31 on conductor 35, contact of switch 38, conductor 39, next to the inner contact of switch 195, conductor 40, winding of restore magnet 126, conductor 96, sixth floor segment of commutator strip 161, conducting strip 162, conductor 97, next to theouter contact or" switch 195, conductor '98, to the other side of battery on conductor 32.

Magnet 126 upon energizing in this circuit restores the two contacts made by relay 123, which restoration opens the negative side of the supply to strips 146 and 158. Further upward movement releases magnet 126, by breaking its circuit on commutator 161 but the two contacts remain mechanically locked open position. Magnet 123 is now in condition to be re-energized.

If car in its travel stops at a floor at which no passengers button has been depressed, its directional signal outside the hatch door will nevertheless be energized. Suppose car 100 has stopped at floor 5 on its upward trip. Carcontrolled switch 99 in a circuit which is in parallel with the hoisting motor circuit, (so that it closes its contacts whenever the car stops) completes a circuit for magnet 122 (Fig. 3) from battery 31 on conductor 35, contact of switch 33, conductor 39, next to the inner contact of switch 195, conductor 40, winding of magnet 122, conductor 313, conducting strip 159, fifth floor segment of commutator strip 149, fourth floor segment of commutator s rip 147 and the third floor segment of commutator strip 151, which are cross connected, conductor 315, middle contact of switch 195, through the contacts of car-controlled switch 99, (which are so arranged as to be closed when the car has stopped) to battery 31 on conductor 32. The energization of magnet 122 closes its contacts, thereby looking out the push button mechanism for that floor (as described hereinafter) and also causing the lighting of lamp 195 in a circuit traceable as follows: from the positive side of source 44, conductors 45 and 46, lamp 105, conductor 311, fifth floor segment of conductor strip 155, conducting strip 156, conductor 312, contact of magnet 122, conductor 49, innermost contact of switch 195, conductor 50, contact of car switch 91, to the negative side of source 44 over conductor 92. Lamp will remain lighted until the car leaves the floor, whereupon switch 99 opens its contacts, deenergizing magnet 122. Restore magnet opcrates to restore the contacts in a circuit extending from the positive side of battery 3 conductors 32 and 98, next to the outer contact of switch 195, conductor 97, conducting strip 162, fifth floor segment of commutator strip 161, conductor 314, winding of magnet 125, conductor 40, next to the inner contact of switch 195, conductor 39, contact of switch 38, to the negative side of battery 31, over conductor 35.

As soon as car reaches the uppermost floor at the end of its upward trip it is necessary, before it begins its downward journey, to place the down-set of commutators and brushes into operative condition and to render the upset inoperative. This is accomplished by means of directional switches and 197. It will be noted that these switches each have an operate and a restore magnet, the operate magnet 193 of switch 195 and the restore magnet 199 of switch 197, being in a series circuit and the restore magnet 194 of switch 195 and the operate magnet 193 or switch 197 forming another series circuit. In

this manner when switch 195 is operated, switch The operation 197 is inoperative and vice versa. and restoration of these switches may be accomplished in any desired manner but preferably control is automatically eirected by the car itself.

In one form of automatic control a switch 196 is suitably mounted to be frictionally thrown by the car towards the right (Fig. 3) as the car reverses to start on its upward trip and to the left as the car reverses to start on its downward trip. As long as the car travels in the same direction, switch 196 will remain in one position. As soon, however, as the car reverses its direction, switch 196 is moved to the other side. Suitable stops 324 and 325 are provided to maintain switch 196 against frictional drive. Contact is made by switch 196 in passing from one side to the other with contacts 316 to 319 in the up direction and with contacts 320 to 323 in the down direction.

Battery on conductors 32 and 98 is connected by means of switch 196 and contacts 320 to 322 over conductors 314, 328 and 96 through the restoring magnets 124 to 126, conductor 40, next to innermost contacts on switch 195, conductor 39, contacts on switch 38, and conductor 35, thereby restoring any up car controlled relays which may at the time of reversing, be in the operating condition. Switch 196 also connects battery by means of contact 323 to restore magnet 194 and operate magnet 198 and, by means of contact 319, to restore magnet 199 and operate magnet 193. It is thus clear that, when the car is traveling upwardly, switch 195 is closed and switch 197 is opened and, when traveling downwardly, switch 195 is opened and switch 197 is closed. Switch 196 may be dispensed with and switches 195 and 197 may be controlled from the commutator sets when it is desired to reverse the direction of car travel only at the terminal floors. The circuits for energizing the operate and restore magnets of the switches are then completed through the segments on commutators 161 and 191, switch 310 being opened to renderswitch 196 inefiective. Car 100, upon reaching the top floor, 9 in this case, causes the directional indicating lamp 199 at that floor, to light directly under the control of the up commutator and remain lighted until the car leaves the floor. With the brush spanning commutator strips 157 and 158 at the ninth floor position, a circuit is completed for lamp 109 from source 44 on conductor 45 (Fig. 1), conductor 46, lamp 109, conductor 342, ninth floor segment of commutator strip 157, segment 341, conductor 343, innermost contact of switch 197, conductor 59, contact of switch 91, to source 44 on conductor 92. Assume that, on the downward travel of car 100, a down passengers button 24 at floor 4 is depressed, as shown in Fig. 4. Magnet 74 is energized in a circuit extending from the positive side of battery 31 on conductor 32, conductor 33, contact of signal button 24, conductor 327, winding of magnet 74, conductor 34, to battery 31 on conductor 35. The signal is thus set for the first approaching car. When car 100, which is assumed to be the first approaching car, reaches a position. about one-half floor above floor 6, its brush closes a circuit which may be traced from the positive side of battery 31 on conductor 32, conductor 33, contact of magnet 74, conductor 328, fourth floor segment of commutator strip 177, conducting strip 178, conductor 329, winding of magnet 131, conductor 330, next to the inner contact of switch 197, conductor 39, contact of switch 38, to the other side of the battery on conductor 35. Magnet 131 operates in this circuit, permitting its contacts to close. With the car one-quarter of a floor above floor 6 and the contacts of magnet 131 closed, directional signal 114 lights at floor 4 in a circuit traceable from the positive side of source 44 on conductor 45, conductor 46, lamp 114, conductor 331, fourth floor segment of commutator strip 183, conducting strip 184, conductor 333, contacts of magnet 131, conductor 334, innermost contact magnet 197, conductor 50, contact of switch 91, to the negative side of source 44 on conductor 92. This circuit is maintained between commutator strip 183 and strip 184 until the car leaves the fourth floor. When the car reaches a point one floor and onehalf above floor 4, the car signal lamp 93 is illuminated. The circuit for this lamp leads from source 44 on conductor 45, lamp 93, conductor 94, outermost contact of switch 197, conductor 335, conducting strip 190, fourth floor segment of commutator strip 189 and the fourth floor segment of commutator strip 183 which are cross connected, conducting strip 184, conductor 333, contact of magnet 131, conductor 334, the innermost contact of switch 197, conductor 50, contact of switch 91 to the other side of source 44 on conductor 92. Lamp 93 is extinguished one-half floor above the fourth floor. 1

Upon the starting of the car away from the floor, lamp 114 is extinguished, its circuit being opened at commutator strip 183. Restore magnet 134 energizes to restore its associated contacts to normal. The circuit for magnet 134 extends from battery on conductor 32, conductors 98 and 306, next to the outer contact of switch 197, conducting strip 192, fourth floor segment of commutator strip 191, conductor 336, winding of magnet 134, conductor 339, next to the inner contact of switch 197, conductor 39, contact of switch 38 to battery 31 on conductor 35.

Upon reaching the lower terminal floor, the

directional switch 195 is operated and switch 197 is released in a circuit established as follows: from the negative side of battery 31 on conductor 35 (Fig. 1), winding of magnet 193, conductor 337, winding of magnet 199, conductor 338, first iioor segment of commutator strip 191, conducting strip 192, next to the outer contact of switch 197, conductors 306 and 98 to the positive side of battery on conductor 32. Directional lamp 111 is then illuminated over a circuit extending from source 44 on conductor 45, conductor 46, lamp 111, conductor 339, first fioor segment of commutator strip 183, segment 340 of conducting strip 184, conductor 308, innermost contact of switch 195, conductor 50, contact of switch 91 to the other side of source 44 on conductor 92. This circuit is maintained until the car leaves the first floor.

The operations above described for car 100 are similar for car 200 shown in Figure 2 and it is not thought necessary to duplicate the description, the circuits involved being easily traced out by anyone skilled in the art.

If the operator of car 100 desires to make a non-stop trip h may transfer all the signals to car 200 by merely operating switches 38 and 91 which, by opening the supply of current, disable the signal-receiving equipment of the car. The circuits for restoring the push button magnets will not then be completed and any following car, upon its approach, may pick up the signal.

Suppose, for instance, that car 100 on its downward trip has come to a stop at the third floor in order to discharge passengers and a passenger at the fioor presses down button 23 by mistake. Car 200, also traveling downward but at some distance behind car 109, say halfway between floors l winding of magnet 1'33, conductor 346, conducting strip 182, segment 34:7, of commutator strip 181', conductor 345, middle contact of switch 197, conductor 304, contacts of car controlled switch 99, conductor 98, to the positive side of battery on conductor 32. Relay 133 is energized and maintained energized in this circuit while car 1S0 remains at the'third iioor. The energization of relay 133 prevents any other car'from picking up the signal set at the third floor. This is accomplished by causing the energization of restore magnet 83. The circuit for this magnet extends from battery on conductor 32, conductor 33, winding of magnet 83, conductor 348, third floor segment of commutator strip 175, conducting strip 176, conductor 349, contact of magnet 133, conductor 330, next to the inner contact of switch 197, conductor 39, contact of switch 38, to battery on conductor 35. This circuit is closed as long as the car remains at the third floor so that as quickly as magnet 73 operates to set a signal, magnet 83 being operated, restores it. If two or more cars are standing at the third floor the circuit for magnet 83 will be closed through the third'floor segments of each of the commutators corresponding to commutator strip 175 since conductor 348 is multiplied to all the cars as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

It is to be understood that the arrangements herein shown and described are merely illustrative in their nature and the invention is not to be limited thereto'except as defined in the appended claims.

1. In an elevator signaling system for a plurality of cars, serving a plurality of landings, an individual directional landing signal for each car, means to energize one of said signals upon the approach of the corresponding car toward the corresponding landing, and means operative upon the stopping of an unsignaled car at said landing to prevent the energization of any other signal at said landing for the same direction of travel until said stopped car leaves said landing.

2. In an elevator signaling system, directional landing signals for each car, means under the control of a passengers button for energizing the signal of an approaching car, means for energizing the signal of a stopping car independent of said passengers button, and means dependent upon the stopping of said car to prevent the energization of the signals of subsequent approaching cars traveling in the same direction in response to a passengers button, said last-named means comprising a part of said signal energizing means.

3. In an elevator signaling system, directional landing signals individual to the cars, passengers buttons at the landings operative to signal the cars, means to energize the directional signals of the first car to approach the landing at which a passengers button has been operated, means to prevent the energization of the directional si nals of subsequently approaching cars travelling in the same direction at said landing until said first car leaves said landing, means to energize the directional signal of a car operable by the stopping of said car at said landing and means to prevent the energization of the directional signals of subsequently approaching cars traveling in the same direction until said stopped car leaves said landing.

4. In an elevator signaling system, directional landing signals individual to the cars, circuits operable upon the approach of a car for energizing said signals, including passengers signaling devices and car controlled switches and a circuit including an auxiliary car-controlled switch operable upon the stopping of a car at the landing for energizing the signal of said car and means to prevent the energization of the signals of subsequent- 1y approaching cars traveling in the same direction in response to a passengers signaling device at said landing.

5. In an elevator signaling system, directional landing signals individual to the cars, primary circuit closers common to the cars at each landing, means operable in response to one of said circuit closers to prepare circuits for said landing signals, car-controlled devices for completing the circuit for the signal corresponding to the first approaching car, car-controlled switches for energizing the signal of a car stopping at a landing and means operable upon the stopping of said car for preventing the energization of the signals of subsequently approaching cars traveling in the same direction irrespective 01 the operation oi said primary circuit closer.

6. In an elevator signaling system, the combination with elevator cars of directional landing signals associated with each car, means to render the directional signals of approaching cars potentially operative to signal the approach oi said cars comprising a passenger signal-sending device at each landing, means traveling in synchronism with the respective cars to efiect the operation of the corresponding directional signals at a predetermined point in the cars travel subsequent to the operation or" said passengers signal sending devices, means independent of said signal-sending devices for energizing the directional signal of a car as an incident to its stopping at a landing, and means for preventing a passengers signal sending device from causing the energization of directional signals for cars subsequently approaching said landing in the same direction until said'car leaves said landing.

7. In a signaling system for elevator cars operable past a floor, passenger-operated call-registering means at the floor for registering calls for service at said floor, and means operably responsive to the car answering a registered call for cancelling said registered call and for rendering the call-registering means ineffective to register calls from a predetermined position of said car of substantial distance in advance of said floor until completion of the answer to said registered call.

8. In a signaling system for elevator cars operable past a floor, a passenger-operated callregistering means at the floor for registering calls for service at the said floor, actuable means for cancelling said calls for service, and means operably responsive to the elevator answering a registered call for actuating said cancellation means and maintaining it in its actuated condition for rendering the said call-registering means ineffective to register calls from a predetermined position of said car of substantial distance in advance of said floor until completion of the answer to said registered call.

9. In a signaling system for elevator cars operable past a floor, passenger-operated call-registering means at the floor for registering calls for service at said floor, and means operably respon- 145 sive to the car first picking up a registered call for cancelling said registered call, and for rendering the call-registering means ineffective to register calls from a predetermined position of said car of substantial distance in advance of said r to actuate the latter and maintain it in its actu-' floor until said car leaves the floor from which it received said registered call. 10. In a signaling system for elevator cars operable past a floor, passenger-operated call-registering means at the floor for registering calls for service from said floor in a given direction, means defining a zone of predetermined and of substantial length and extending through said floor, and means operably responsive to a car traveling in said direction and reaching said zone after registration of a call for cancelling said registered call and for rendering the callregistering means for said floor ineffective to register calls until said car has passed beyond said zone.

11. In a signaling system for elevator cars operable past a floor, passenger-operated callregistering means at the floor for registering calls for service at the said floor, actuable means for cancelling said calls for service, and means operably responsive to the car first picking up a registered call for actuating said cancellation means and maintaining it in its actuated condition for rendering the said call-registering means ineffective to register calls from a predeerrnined position of said car of substantial distance in advance of said floor until said car has passed beyond said floor.

12. In asignaling system for elevator cars operable past a floor, passenger-operated call-registering means at the floor for registering calls for service at said floor, an electromagnetic device for cancelling said calls for service, means for energizing said device including a normally open cancellation circuit, a brush in said circuit movable in synchronism with the car, and a segment defining a predetermined zone or" approach of said car to said floor traversable by said'brush in such manner that current is caused to flow through said segment, brush, and electromagnetic device,

ated condition for rendering the said call-registering means'ineilective to register calls so long I as said brush is traversing said segment.

13. In a signaling system for elevator cars operable past a floor, passenger-operated call-registering means at the floor for registering calls for service at said floor, an electromagnetic device for canceling said calls for service, means for energizing said device including a normally open' cancellation circuit, a brush in said circuit, movable in synchronism with a car, a switch in series with said brush, and a segment defining a'predetermined zone of approach of said car to said floor traversable by said brush whereby current is caused to flow through said segment, brush, switch, and electromagnetic device, to actuate the latter and maintain it in its actuated condition for rendering the said call registering means ineffective to register calls so long as said brush is traversing said segment.

14. In a signaling system for elevator cars operable past a fioor, passenger-operated call-registering means at the floor for registering calls for service at said fie-or, an electromagnetic device for cancelling said calls for service, means for energizing said device including a normally open cancellation circuit, a brush in said circuit, movable in synchronism with a car, and a segment defining a predetermined zone of approach of said car to said floor traversable by said brush in such manner that current is caused to flow through said segment, brush, and electromagnetic device to actuate the latter and maintain it in its actuated condition for rendering the said call-registering means inefiective to register calls during traverse by the car of the remainder of the distance between the point ,of call-reception and the floor from which the call was registered.

HAROLD J. FEAR. WILLIAM F. DITTNIAN. 

